Pelt-dehairing machine



Nov. 25, 1930.

R. H. PLASS PELT DEHAIRINGl MAGHINE 3 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Jan. 8, 1930- 0N mm M mw m im on l. B gok Nov. 25, 1930,

Filed Jan. 8, 1930 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNE Q Nov. 25, 1930, R. H. PLASS 1,782,662

PELT DEHAIRING MACHINE Filed Jem.- 8, 1930 hevets-Sheet 3 BY yvrm i `Patented Nov. 25,Y 1930 UNITE-D STA ROBERT HL. vPLnss, orivroN'roLAIn,Y NnwJER-sny, AssIGNoRToTHEcHArAL DONNER A t `ScomornirroN,orY NEWARK, New JERSEY, `n. coaroRATroNon NEW `JERSEY 1 PELTmErIAIRING MACHINE Application fn'ea January s, 19:30."A serial No. ,419,2'227.

"This invention relates to improvements in machinesforremoving hair or fur from`animal skins orpelts.

This inventiony has forits principal object to provide a'v novel.` pelt dehairing machine v havingmeans for feeding the pelts tothe cutting `mechanism and holdingthe same subjectto the hair'or fur severing operation of the cutting mechanism, together with a novel pneumaticmeans cooperative with said feeding and holding means and; cutting mechanism forrapidly removing severed hair or fur v from`the cutting pointwithout waste, while A at the same time assuring eiicient separation 4of the hair or fur from skin cuts or slivers.

Other objects of this invention, not at this time more particularly enumerated, will be understood from the following detailed description of the same.

An illustrative embodiment of this invenin which 'Figi 1 is a side elevation,`and 'Fig'. Q is a plangor top view of the novel pelt dehairing machine of this invention; Fig.` 3 is Lan `enlarged view, in vertical section, of

tion is shown inthe accompanying drawings,

partsadjacent-to the cutting point of the machine; and Fig. 4 is a fragmentary plan viewy of portions `ofthe vp elt feedingand holding means as related to the pneumatic means for removing or conveyingV away severed hair 0r` Similar characters of reference are employed all ofthe above-described views, to indicate corresponding parts.

Referring to t said drawings, the lreference character 5 indicates acutting cylinder or drum, the shaft 6 of `which is journaled in and'eXtends 4between bearing 'members 7 which are supported on the'frame-worlr of the machine. `Suitably `secured to vthe cutting cylinder or drum are a plurality7 o`f radial` and preferably longitudinally oblique shear Y blades9. f Secured to the bearing members?,

so as to extend over and enclose theupper forwardpart ofthe cutting cylinder or drum 5, 'is abcd-knife frame 10 toV which is suitably secured,as by bolts 11, a stationary cutting blade or bedlknife 12. Said stationary cuttingblade or bed-knife 12 is mounted with its `upwardly relative to andinlfunctional )co-` cutting edge downward, and isdisposed suhon'rotation of saidcylinder or drum, will pass y stantiallyparallel to the axis of saidcutting ,i l cylinder or drum 5, sothatthe shear bladesA 9,

operation with the cutting edge of said sta tionary cutting blade or bed-knife.

J ournaled in and extending between bearing portions 13 connected with the bed-knife t frame 10, is a shaft 14 on which is fixed al feed-roller 15. Said feed-roller 15 liesin` front of and parallels the 'cutting edge of said stationary cuttingbladeorbed-knif e 12.

Connected withjthe frame-work 8, to `pro- .ject 'outwardly from the ends of theeutting me`chanism,"are fixedisideplates 16. `Mountn ed 1in andextending betweensaid sideplates 16`is afulcrum shaft; 17. Pivotally mounted on said shaft 17,1to lie side by side throughout the space between "said side `plates 16, are a plurality of pelt "supporting members 1 18, which together provide a feed table over which p'elts may befed to thecutting `point of the machine. Each supporting member 18 terminates vat its inner end in acurved guide portion 19 which underlies andis opposed to the`under surface of the feed-roller 15. :Each 1.

supporting member 18 is normallypositioned, with its guide portion 19 slightly spaced from the surface of said feed-roller 15, by engagefv ment of its tail portionwith a stop-bar Q0, `the latter being supported by and extendingbe-V tween said side `plates 16 so as to underliethe 1 Y tail portions of said supporting me'mbers.v SaidV supporting members 18 are yieldably biased to the described normalpositions by pull-springs `21 adapted to exert downwardlyv swinging tension on the tail portions thereof. `Sai d. supporting members 18 serve to support and guide a `pelt,1fed forward to the cutting point of the machine, to,under and into pro- Since, however, each supporting Kmember excrescences or the like occurring "in the pelt y vpelled engagementby said feed-roller 15.`l

at any given point, without disturbing the I function of the remaining supporting mem-V bers in pressing ythe belt into propelled en?V gageinent with said feed-roller 157 and consequently such imperfections in the pelt will not interfere with or obstruct in any way the desired steady, uniform and smooth movement of the pelt to the cutting point ofthe machine.

The cutting machine or drum 5 may be operatively rotated by any suitable power transmission means, as, for example, by a drive pulley 22 over which runs a drive belt 23 driven from a suitable source of power.

The feed-roller is suitably driven at rela tively slow speed. Illustrative of one manner of and means for driving said feed-roller 15, I have shown a reduction gearing intermediate the shaft 6 of the cutting cylinder or drum 5 and the shaft 14; of the feed-roller. As shown, said reduction gearing comprises a pinion 2etconnected and rotatable with said shaft 6. Said pinion 24 meshes with and drives a large gear wheel 25 having concentric thereto and rotatable therewith a reducing gear 2G, which, in turn, meshes with and drives an idler gear 27. Said idler gear 27 meshes with and drives a transmission gear 28 fixed on the feed-roller shaft 14E. It will be understood, however, that the described transmission is subject to wide variation, and

that I do not limit myself to illustrative form of the same.

Aligned with and adjacent to the cutting point of the machine, is an air conduit or pneumatic conveyer pipe 29, the same having an upwardly projecting mouth portion 30 providing an intake opening 31 underlying the guide portions 19 of said supporting members 18, and corresponding in length to the width of the feed table formed by the latter parts. Said air conduit or pneumatic conveyer pipe 29 extends endwise from a side of the machine, and may be suitably connected with an air exhaust means (not shown) for creating an air suction current therein. The guide-portions 19 of the supporting members 18 are provided with slotted openthe use of the i ings 32 providing passages communicating with the intake opening 31 of said air conduit or pneumatic conveyer pipe 29. In order to prevent disturbing air eddy currents, and to assure the movement of air at or near the cutting point of the machine directly into the intake opening 31 of the air conduit or pneumatic conveyer pipe 29, I provide flexible closure ianges 33 and 34, which may be made of any suitable material, such as rubber, leather, etc. Closure iiange 33 is preferably secured to the outer faceof the stationary blade or bed-knife 12, with its free margin bearing or riding on the upper surface of the feed-roller 15. Closure flange 34 is preferably secured to the outer face of the mouth portion 30 of said air conduit or pneumatic conveyer pipe 29, with its free margin bearing or riding on the undersides of said supporting members 18.

In practice, the cutting cylinder or drum 5 is enclosed. The enclosure is eifected in part by the bed-knife frame 10 and in part by a rear hood member or housing 35, and in part by the inner face or side of the air conduit or pneumatic conveyer pipe 29, all whereby the cutting cylinder or drum 5 revolves in a chamber 36 open at its lower side to communicate with any suitable form and arrangement of drop well or conduit 37.

In the operation of the machine, the rotation of the cutting cylinder or drum 5, at its forward face and relative to the cutting point of the machine, is upward. The revolution of the shear blades 9 produces a centrifugal air current within the chamber 36 in the direction of motion of the cutting cylinder or drum. As slivers of hide or skin are cut from the pelt, while severing the hair or fur from the latter, the same are carried around the chamber 36 by the centrifugal air current, and discharged into the drop-well or condiut 37, and being relatively heavy will gravitate through the latter to a place of collection.

As the pelt moves beneath the feed-roller 15 and intermediate the same and the guide portions 19 of the supporting members 18, the fur or hair is turned to extend real'- wardly, whereby, as a portion of the pelt or skin moves over the edge of the stationary blade or bed-knife 12 and into the path of an approaching shear blade 9, Ya sliver of the hide will be cut away, thereby severing adjacent hair or fur filaments close to the bases or roots thereof. By the air suction applied to the air conveyer or pneumatic convcyer pipe 29, an ingoing current of air is caused to flow through the slots or openings 32 provided in the guide portions 19 of the supporting members 18, and thence into the intake opening 31 of the mouth portion 30. rlhis ingoing air current will quickly suck into the conveyer pipe the severed hair or fur filaments, so that the same may be immediately carried to a point of collection, with risk of waste or loss substantially eliminated.

It will be obvious from the above description that the present invention provides an exceedingly simple dehairing machine, having means to quickly and etiiciently assure the collection of severed hair or fur lilaments in such manner as to eliminate waste or loss thereof. Said latter means by reason of its pneumatic. character, involving a con siderable reduction in movable parts necessary to the machine structure, and consequently not only affording a machine functioning in an etlicient manner, but one which is economical both to build and operate.

I am aware that many. changes could be made in the above described general construction of dehairing machine as well as in the details of the structure thereof, without departing from the scope of this invention, and therefore it is intended that all matter f1() i horizontal plane and having guide portions opposed to said feed-roller and extending to the cutting mechanism, and an air suction conveyer means havingan intake mouth coeX- tensive with andadjacent to cutting point of the machine so as to receive and carry away hair or fur filaments severed from a p pelt, said guide portion being of less width than the main bodies of said fingers to provideopeni'ngs therebetween giving access to said conveyer means intake mouth.

2. In a machine of the kind described, a

rotatable cutting cylinder having radial shear-blades, a stationary downwardly directed cutting blade having a cuttingedge at its lower margin, said cutting cylinder be-` ing rotatable in a direction adapted to carry its shear blades upwardly relative'to and Vin contact with said stationary blade cutting edge, a rotatable pelt feed-roller, a series of pivoted independently yieldable pelt supporting Fingers arranged side by side in laterally abutting relation and in horizontal plane and having guide portions underlying said feedroller, and extending to said cutting blade, an air suction conveyer means having an air intake mouth in front of and substantially `coertensive with said stationaryrblade cutting-edge and underlying said guide portions of said pelt supporting fingers, and said latter partshaving slotted openings therethrough giving access to said conveyer means intake mouth. A

3. In a machine of the kindV described, a rotatable cutting cylinder having radial shear-blades, a stationary downwardly directed cutting blade having a cutting edge at its lower margin, said cutting cylinder being rotatable in a direction-adapted to carry its shear blades upwardly relative to and in contact with said stationaryv blade cutting edge, a rotatable pelt feed-roller, a series of pivoted independently 'yieldable pelt supporting fingers arranged side by side in laterally abutting relation and in horizontal plane and having guide portions underlying said feed-roller and extending to vsaid cutting blade, an air suction conveyermeans having an air intake mouth in 'front of andsubstantially coeXtensive withsaid stationary blade cutting edge andunderlying said guide portions of said pelt supporting fingers, said latter parts having Y slotted openings therethrough giving access to said conveyor means intake mouth, and flexible flange members respectively intermediate said stationary cutting blade and the upperV side of said feed roller and the outer side of saidjsuction conveyer means and the underside of said supporting fingers.

In testimony that I cla-im the invention set forth above I have hereunto set my hand this 3rd day of January, 1930.

. ROBERT H. PLASS.

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